​New Berwick Rangers manager Martin Scott’s wait for first league win goes on

Blair MacDonald and Bayley Klimionek put Rangers in front with two goals in the space of four minutes but it was all one-way traffic in the other direction after that as Scott, 40, was hit by his third league defeat, accompanied by one draw, since taking over from Kevin Haynes at Shielfield Park at the end of September.

MacDonald’s opener on 13 minutes and Klimionek’s follow-up on 17 were as good as it got for the hosts as Michael Weir replied with a hat-trick past home No 1 Calum Antell on 26, 39 and 76 and Sonny Aluko and Chris Ogilvie also got on the scoresheet for ’Shire on 59 and 83.

That ninth defeat of the season leaves Berwick, still awaiting a sequel to their 3-2 victory hosting Stirling University in mid-August, in 14th place in the table, on six points from 13 fixtures.

Next up for Rangers on league duty is a trip to Cowdenbeath this coming Saturday, with kick-off at 3pm, and they’ll head up to Fife hoping to make amends for a 4-0 thumping there in the Scottish Cup’s first round at the start of October.

Looking back over Saturday’s latest loss, Scott, recruited from fifth-tier rivals Gala Fairydean Rovers, told his new club’s Facebook page: “It felt like three different games in one, to be honest with you.

“We made a really positive start, going 2-0 up, and you think you’re in total control at that point, but we probably stopped doing the basics and the fundamentals that were getting us success.

“They scored to make it 2-1 and you could see immediately with our guys that it looked like the weight of the world was on their shoulders and then it goes to two-each and eventually to 5-2.

“It’s a disappointing scoreline but it’s not a motivational thing for the players. You can see they need support, guidance and education, and they need the club and the people that support the club to stick with them and that’s the biggest thing for me.

“I think they’re motivated to do well but ultimately we have to have action to deliver that.

“There were many positives within that game but the result probably overshadows them.

“The guys care about the club, they care about results and they care about our league position, but we can’t get too bogged down with that at the moment. It is what it is.

“We just have to take it one game at a time and keep trying to turn the corner. There’s lots of work to do.”

Tuesday saw Rangers let another lead slip as the went out of this season’s KDM Evolution Trophy 4-1 away to William Hill Championship title-challengers Stenhousemuir.

Danny Handling put the visitors ahead quarter of an hour into that round-of-32 tie at Ochilview Park but manager Marvin Bartley’s hosts hit back with four unanswered second-half goals from Scott Bright on 52 minutes, Andrew Shinnie on 64, Dale Carrick on 77 and Louis Lloyd on 80 to book their place in the competition’s round of 16 later this month.

Reflecting on that exit from the trophy, alias the Scottish Professional Football League Challenge Cup, Scott said: “Like any game, I was disappointed to lose, but our first-half performance was brilliant from the lads. They carried out the game-plan to a tee.

“It was an outstanding performance in the first half, but overall the physicality you get at this level came into it.

“There were so many positives to take from that performance.”

Looking ahead to Saturday’s away-day as Rangers target a third league win on the spin versus the Fifers following ones by 2-0 home and away last season, last July and in March respectively, he added: “They’re all big games, there’s no doubt about that.

“I feel a positive result would really give us that springboard to go on and continue to challenge to get ourselves up the league, but there’s no given right to win any game of football – you have to be at it for 90 minutes, not 45 minutes,not 60 minutes, and you have to overcome adversity within games.

“We’re looking forward to the challenge.”